Teen charged with kicking two-year-old at unlicensed day care

Suspect was child caregiver at Upper Marlboro-area residence

Prince George’s police have arrested a 19-year-old for allegedly kicking a 2-year-old at an unlicensed child day care center in the Upper Marlboro area.

The day care employee, Johnathan Desmond Cummings, was arrested Monday and charged with physical child abuse and second-degree assault.

On Monday, police responded to the day care at 13607 Wood Ember Dr., Cummings’ residence, for the report of child abuse.

An investigation showed that the house was allegedly being used as an unlicensed residential day care, police said.

Police said detectives found that Cummings was a caregiver for the day care and allegedly assaulted a 2-year-old.

According to police, a witness captured the incident on video and alerted the child’s parents, who then notified police.

Cummings was taken to the county’s department of corrections after being arrested, but was released on a $35,000 bond after admitting to the assault.

The Maryland State Department of Education’s Office of Child Care has issued the unlicensed day care center a cease and desist order, according to county police, and the owners of the day care have been told they cannot provide day care service until they are properly licensed.

Police said investigators believe there may be other victims.

The police department is asking anyone with information about other potential cases to contact the department’s child and vulnerable adult unit at 301-772-4930.

A defense attorney for Cummings was not listed with the courts by Wednesday night, according to online county court records.

Attempts to reach Cummings or his family members at the Wood Ember residence were not successful Wednesday evening.

Residents in the neighborhood were shocked to hear of the incident.

“That’s awful, just horrible. I’ve only been here nine months and had no idea that was going on,” said Wienna Hamilton, 40, of the unlicensed day care.

Jason Jones, 42, said he lives in the same subdivision and said he’s seen children coming in and out of the home to be picked up and dropped off by parents.

“I was just picking up my daughter from day care,” Jones said of his two-year-old Wednesday evening. “We as parents have to do our background work. You don’t want to be thinking about what’s happening to my child. I know [Cummings], as a 19-year-old, knows he made the wrong move.”